Never Letting Go
by emo-sob
Summary: I'll forget him. I'll be happy that he's gone. I'll move on with life and act as if he were never there in the first place. At least, that's what I tell myself.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**This was originally a one-shot so the rest of the chapters go a bit downhill from here.  
**Disclaimer: Why do I even need this? There is no way I could own Naruto.. or even come up with an idea as great as that.

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I've already planned everything I'm going to say to him when he comes back because I refuse to believe he's not going to. I'll yell and scream at him, maybe even try to hit him, while deep down, I'm happy he's come home. And he'll sit and listen with a stupid expression, easily blocking my punches, knowing most everything I say is a lie.

And I know that by the time he realizes where he belongs and comes back I'll have forgotten everything I want to say to him. I might've even forgotten him. So that's why I'm writing this down. It's for no one to see but me.

When he comes back, it'll be a cloudy day with the sky looking like it's about to pour. I'll be coming back from a lesson with one of my many teachers, my head hanging, my brain clouded. He'll brush shoulders with me and I'll turn around to yell at whoever it was and stop dead in my tracks when I see who it is. He'll turn around when he hears a sob escape from my lips and see the girl he once knew so well. His eyes will become wide to see what she's like now and he'll stand as still as the tree next to him.

When I finally gather the pieces of myself I'll walk a bit closer to him and start talking quietly, my voice slowly getting higher and louder.

"So, the famous Uchiha Sasuke finally comes back." I'll whisper, just loud enough for him to hear. He'll be surprised that my voice isn't dripping with affection but something close to hatred. He won't talk; just stare, while I ask yell questions at him.

"You know, we didn't really believe you would. We'd lost all hope in you coming back after the second day Naruto was gone." I'll take a deep breath and push back my dull pink hair, the hair that used to be very bright.

"Why? Why'd you have to leave when we needed you the most? When I needed you the most!" I'll clench my fist then and he'll just keep on staring, wondering what's wrong with me when it's so clear.

"You didn't have to leave to become stronger! You could've stayed right here and trained with people who loved and cared about you instead of going to that Orochimaru freak!" He'll notice how I spoke in past tense when I talked about love and care. I'll swing my fist to hit him and he'll block it by simply raising his hand.

"You could've stayed here with me, and Naruto-kun!" He'll notice the suffix I used with Naruto's name and his eyes will become darker.

"And with Kakashi-sensei and Tsunade-sama!" I'll raise another fist and he'll grasp it before I have time to strike.

"Was me telling you that I loved you not enough? Was having people who cared about you not enough?" My voice will become quieter and I'll pull my fists from his hands, just a little too rough.

I'll hang my head again and tears will start flowing. When he reaches to tilt my head up so he can wipe them away I'll smack his hand away as if he was as worthless as a bug. And by then, he will be. I'll take a couple of steps back from him and look up.

"People put their lives on the line to get you back. Neji and Chouji were this close," I'll place my thumb and index finger about half of a centimeter apart, "to dying all because we needed our dumb ass Sasuke back!"

I'll furiously wiped the tears from my face and say a few more things that I'll hope are hurtful but he'll know they're lies so they won't be.

"Well, I don't love you anymore. Everyone's life has moved on without you and people are happy you _aren't _in it." I'll turn my back to him and start to head towards my house. I'll stop just long enough to say one last thing.

"You aren't welcome here so I suggest you leave before everyone finds out that you're here. Once they do, you're in for a hell of a ride."

I'll start walking again; proud of myself for telling him those things even if a few of them are lies.

"S-Sakura-chan."

That will be the first time I've heard his voice since he left and it will bring me to a screeching halt, my knees quivering.

I'll keep my back to him and he'll slowly walk forward. He'll stop right behind me and slowly wrap his arms around me, as I'd done to him when he first woke after getting the wretched curse mark and before he left.

I'll try to come lose, but to no avail, and stand still until he lets go of me. He'll rest his chin on my shoulder and whisper, "I'm sorry."

I won't be able to tell if he is lying or not so I'll turn my face away.

"Let go of me." I'll hiss, grasping his wrists once more and try to pull his arms apart.

He'll let go long enough to jump in front of me and then place a strong hand on my shoulder. "I really am. I didn't want to leave."

I'll let out a sarcastic laugh and step back from his hand. It will fall to his side as I yell, "If you didn't want to leave then you shouldn't have!" Tears will make my voice crack and I'll fall silent as he begins to walk into to town.

I'll start walking again and roll my eyes as he speaks once more. "You never were a very good liar."

I'll laugh a real laugh, turn back around, running to him. I'll fall instep beside him and say, "Shut up," the way friends do when they tease each other.

A small smile will make its way to his face and he'll answer, "I'd rather not."

My smile will be much bigger than his as I realize that I have my old Sasuke back.

And then, I'll wake up, realize that him leaving and the years after that were all just a dream. I'll find out that I did stop him from leaving and we'd fallen asleep in the grass surrounding the path that leads out of Konoha.

Sometimes, I think this might just come true. Then, I tell myself I'm being foolish and go on with what I was doing. If and when he comes back I'll have already forced myself into forgetting him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. I don't own Naruto... Wish I did, but I don't.**

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**_I really don't think he gets it. He always tries to tell me that it's not my fault, but I'm sure it is. Naruto-kun just doesn't understand how I feel. I know he lost his best friend, but I lost my love and I couldn't do anything to stop it. _

_If I was the last one to talk to Sasuke, and I wasn't able to convince him, surely it's my fault that he wouldn't stay. Right? Naruto-kun always tries to tell me otherwise but I know it's my fault._

_And even if it isn't my fault, I can't help but to think that it is. I thought that after a while I'd feel somewhat better, but this is terrible. It's been almost two months and I feel worse than before. I can't concentrate on my studies, my friendships are disappearing, and my mother seems to be ashamed of me. And to top it all off, a new boy moved in next door and seems to be stalking me. Life couldn't get any worse right now._

_I'll tell you about the new boy. His name is simply Ritsuki and he doesn't say much. He has bright blue and these lifeless gray eyes. He doesn't wear a haiti-ate, yet I see him practicing jutsus in the training areas. He almost reminds me of Sasuke because of how quiet he is. That just makes things a lot better. Ritsuki-san is always observing things and I've seen him talking to Tsunade-sama. That makes me kind of jealous because no one else really pays much attention to me anymore._

_Hah, I guess I kind of sound like a stalker now, but I can't help it. I really need something to take my mind off of Sasuke._

"Sakura-chan!" Lee-san's voice stopped me from writing the rest of my thoughts and stories down.

I looked up to see his smiling face and those dark, happy eyes that immediately put me at ease. I gave him a small smile, the biggest one I could manage without lying.

"Hi Lee-san! What's up?" I had been sitting in my favorite tree, way up high, and I was surprised to see he came all the way to see me.

He gave a small laugh and answered, "Looks like we are. Anyway, I was just coming to see how you were feeling. Naruto-kun said you have been a bit depressed lately and I was going to see if I could cheer you up!" Lee-san tilted his head to the right and the hair that I wished was like Sasuke's fell into his eyes.

I looked at him in his green jump suit type outfit and tilted my head the other way. "Actually I'm fine. Naruto-kun likes to exaggerate. But thanks for coming up. I was getting a bit lonely. How long did it take you to find me?"

"Oh, it was easy! When you are not at home or with someone you are normally here."

"Hah, yeah. I guess it wasn't that hard to figure it out." I was quite touched that he took the time to notice all of that. I really did have someone who truly cared for me in the village.

"W-would you like to run some laps around Konoha with m-me?" Lee-san asked this quietly, picking at the dirt on his sandals.

I sighed and smiled at him. "I'd love to, but I've got some studying I really should be doing. Next time, if I'm not busy. Is that okay?" I felt bad for turning him down because I knew he didn't have many friends who would spend time running around the outside of the village.

He nodded at me and smile spread across his face. It was a bit hurt, but I could tell he was happy that I really did want to. "That would be awesome!" He stood up on the thin branch and gave me the nice-guy pose. He laughed a bit and made his way down the tree. "Good-bye, Sakura-chan!"

I cringed a bit at the word _good-bye, _hating it more than anything. "See you, Lee-san!"

I rolled up the scroll I had been writing and placed it in my bag, taking another one out. It was filled with medical techniques that I needed to learn if I ever wanted to become as string as Tsunade-sama. That was almost impossible for me, but I could try. Maybe Sasuke would like me if I were like her.

I tried to concentrate on the scroll but my mind would wonder off to random things. More often than not, it would be Sasuke. Who else would it be?

I tried to think of more ways I could've stopped even though I know I'm wasting my time. If he wanted to stay, he would've. Simple as that, yet I couldn't seem to grasp it. I'm convinced I just didn't do enough to make him stay.

It frustrates me that all I can ever think about is Sasuke. Why can't I think about something important? Or do my studying?

I decide that I'm not going to get anything done in my current state of mind and put all my belongings back in my bag. I know Lee-san will still be running and think that it would be a good idea to run with him. I leave my bag up in the tree where no one will find it and walk off to see Lee-san, wondering why I haven't started to call him Lee-kun. He's almost like my best friend now.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:**Ritsuki is mine. He was a character for a different story that was going to be Sakura centric so I decided to put him in here where he turned out to be an ass. He was lot cooler in the other story.  
**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto... sadly.**

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Cherry blossoms fluttered through the dark night as I sat on a stone bench, panting. I'd just run from my favorite tree to this street thinking I saw the one person who could make things better. Of course, I was just being stupid and my dreams hadn't gotten tangled up in reality for a moment.

I sighed and watched as the moon slowly rose above the trees. I was getting much too infatuated with Sasuke when he wasn't even here. I'm just glad Ino-pig isn't around to tell me how truly pathetic I am.

I stand and walk slowly back into town, putting more force into my steps than neccasary. I listen to the satisfying sound of the leaves breaking into pieces underneath my feet, keeping my eyes on the ground. I don't want to see illusions again. I don't notice as a shadow crosses with mine so I keep walking until I walk straight into that dull eyed boy.

"Watch where you're going," he sneers.

"Could've just avoided me. It's not that hard to take a step to the side." I look up into Ritsuki-sans face to see a purple bruise across his cheek and blood dripping from his bottom lip.

He rolls his eyes and continues to walk past me after stepping into the grass. I sigh, letting my better instinct take hold of me. I quickly uncap a bottle of pills and take out a small, red one.

Holding it out in my hand, I offer it to him. "Here. It will help with your face."

Ritsuki-san turns around, cocking his head to the side. He absentmindedly touches his bottom lip and winces as he steps closer to me. "It won't… kill me, will it?"

This time, it's my turn to roll my eyes at him. I bite back my sarcastic retort and answer, "No, it shouldn't. You'd have to take too many of them."

He nods and takes the small pill from my hand and examines it closely. Ritsuki-san pops the pill into his mouth and bites down on it. He coughs a bit at the taste but otherwise swallows it without complaint. I can see the medicine start to react to the injuries upon his face almost immediately.

"Huh, thanks." And with that, he turns on his heel and walks off, leaving me standing on the cobblestone road, feeling lonelier than before.

I rub my eyes and continue my walk into town, my head down once again. Maybe I'll find Lee or Naruto-kun and they'll be able to cheer me up. I don't expect to run into anybody else who I know tonight so I let a few tears run freely down my face. I must've been hoping that Ritsuki-san would stay with me.

The bright lights of town hit me in the face and I quickly wipe the tears away, walking into the first warm place I see, which happens to be the ramen place, Ichiruka. I sit down on one of the red, swiveling stools, right next to Naruto-kun. Where else would he be?

"Yo, Sakura-chan!" Naruto-kun turns and looks at me, probably wondering why he hasn't seen me all day.

"Naruto." I nod my head at him and give a short smile. I quickly turn my face away, not wanting him to see the tear streaks running along my face. But of course, he notices.

"What's wrong?" His voice is filled with concern, and it makes me happy to know that he really does care.

"Just a long day. I'm alright, really." I give Naruto-kun a reassuring smile and push my hair out of my face.

He smiles back and turns to order something for himself. Remembering that he has this crap everyday, I grab his wrist and pull him outside. He opens his mouth, ready to object, but I clap another hand over it and tell, "You're just going to kill yourself faster if this is all you ever eat."

I take my hand away from his mouth when he says, "Kakashi-sensei told me something like that once. I don't think it's true. I mean, I've been eating it all my life and I'm still here!"

I roll my eyes at him and drag him along a dirt road, heading towards my house. "I'm going to give you some fruit, vegetables, and, um, a lecture. Then you're going to go home and eat the stuff that's _good for you _and think over what I said."

"Jeez, you sound just like… everybody." I turn my head and give him a nice, sarcastic smile.

"That's just what I was hoping for."

When we enter my house I start rummaging through cupboards, trying to find some fruits. I through just about everything healthy at the blond boy standing in my kitchen, looking like a complete idiot trying to catch everything.

"Well, no vegetables but that will do," I say, trying to hold in my laughter as Naruto-kun wobbles under the mountain of actual food. I start on my lecture about how he should the right foods instead the Ramen crap and if he does, he'll be a lot healthier. I finish, "Now go home and eat some of the real food before I give you more."

All I hear from Naruto-kun is an, "Mm-hmm."

I open the door for him and make sure he can carry everything before shutting it and leaning against the smooth wood. How could a day start so dreadfully but end so much better.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Hm... I don't have anything to say.  
**Disclaimer: I think you guys get it by now... I don't own Naruto.

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I fell, face first, onto my bed. My dull pink hair splayed out on the blue sheets and made me look like a stick of cotton candy. I breathed in the scent of the newly washed sheets and smiled. In a few minutes I would have to get dressed and go baby sit the neighbor's kids. I rolled over on my back and looked up at the white, dull ceiling.**

A flicker of light caught my eye as I sat up. I looked over to where it was coming from to find the light reflecting off of one of the pictures on my dresser. As I looked closer at it I realized that I didn't recognize one of the persons within the frame. There was me, Naruto-kun, Kakashi-sensei, and some kid with a shirt that had a huge collar. I blinked, racking my memory to see if I had ever noticed him before.

Then, it all came back to me. The boy in the picture was Uchiha Sasuke. I loved him but he seemed to think I was useless. The fact that I had forgotten him frightened me even though I'd been hoping that I would.

I thought I should talk to Kakashi-sensei about this, so I called my neighbors to cancel. I felt kind of bad about it, but I had more important things to deal with. I quickly slipped on my clothes and rushed out the door, grabbing an apple on the way out.

I stepped into town, trying to spot the tall, silver hair of Kakashi's. I was becoming more nervous as the minutes passed where I couldn't tell anyone about what had happened. I was about to settle with telling Naruto-kun when Kakashi's voice startled me out of my thoughts.

"Sakura? What're you doing out here alone?" His voice seemed concerned but somewhat distant.

"Looking for you. I, um, need to talk to you about something." I saw him nod from the corner of my eye and followed him as he walked out of the crowded streets.

He sat down on the grass surrounding the road that led out of Konoha. I sat down next to him and sighed. This wasn't the place I would've preferred.

"What's up?" I looked at him kind of funny as he said this. He wasn't acting as his normal self. Normally, he wasn't so… peppy.

"Well," I sighed again before continuing. "I was looking at some pictures like thirty minutes ago and a couple of them had… had Sasuke in them." I stopped and took a deep breath. I looked over at Kakashi to make sure I could go on.

"B-but when I first when I first looked at the pictures I didn't recognize him. I mean, it was like I'd seen him before but I didn't know him." I sighed and put my face in my hands.

"Let me ask you a few questions. 'Kay?" Again, I looked up at Kakashi as he talked. He was acting a lot different than normal. But it might've just seemed like that because I hadn't talked to him in a while.

I nodded at him and lied down on the soft, damp grass and listened to him.

"Do you want to forget him?" His voice sounded a bit strained, like he wanted to forget Sasuke himself.

"Well, yes… and no." I sighed and put my hands behind my head.

"Why?" I heard the soft _oomph _as he lied down, too.

"I want to forget him because I dwell on him much too often. I can't concentrate on anything because of him. But I don't want to forget him because if I did I'd be forgetting a lot of good times. I just don't want to think about him anymore, you know?" I looked over at Kakashi to see if he was paying attention.

"It kind of sounds like you don't want to _love _him anymore." He said this quietly, as if he wasn't sure of what he was saying.

"I'd never thought of it that way before. But I guess you're right." I waved a hand at the blond haired boy coming our way. He nodded his head in return and lied down on the other side of me.

"Of course I am." Now _that _was more like the Kakashi I knew.

A few cherry blossoms were fluttering through the sky and I focused on counting how many of them there were. I told myself that if I didn't miss one, I'd wake up and the past few months would've been a dream.

Naruto's hand rested on top of mine and I let him keep it there for the warmth from it was spreading throughout my whole body. I had one hand over my eyes to shield them from the sun's rays. The wind was whipping my hair about my face and though it was annoying, I was truly happy.

Naruto-kuns voice pierced the silence with a question. "Almost like old times, isn't it?"


	5. Chapter 5

"N-Naruto-kun! You're hurting me!" Naruto was holding my hand, much too tight, while he was muttering in his sleep.

Kakashi-sensei, Naruto-kun, and I had either fallen asleep or drifted off while we were lying there. I'd gone to staring at the clouds above me and trying to figure out why Sasuke had to leave. And why he said _thank you _to me. What kind of good-bye was that?

"Naruto!" I shoved him lightly and shook his shoulder with the hand I had free. He was starting to stir but still seemed to be unaware of his surroundings or me shaking him.

"Kakashi-sensei! Wake him up!" He'd stayed with us, reading that book he always carried with him, being his old self.

"Stop shaking him."

I stopped and Kakashi pulled out a shuriken and threw it so it landed close to Naruto's head. I jumped a bit as it came closer but otherwise stayed still. Naruto must have sensed the shuriken flying at him because he went completely rigid as it came and sat up after it stopped.

I pulled my hand from his grasp and shook it to get some of the feeling back. "My God. It takes forever to wake you up!" I stared at my hand, wondering when the bruises would start to show up.

"Why did you wake me?!" He was angry at me for waking him even though he'd been having a nightmare.

"You were hurting me." I shied away from him for his anger scared me. "You… you seemed to like you were having a nightmare." I gave him a small smile, hoping he wouldn't be mad at me.

"Oh… right." His anger seemed to disappear leaving sorrow in its place.

Naruto nodded and stood, brushing the grass of the back of his pants. I watched every move he made, looking for something that would tell me what was wrong. I was always worried about him now. He was acting so much different now that Sasuke wasn't here. I always knew he didn't really hate Sasuke, but I didn't think Naruto-kun would change so much once he left.

"Can I walk you home, Sakura-chan?" His face looked so sad and pleading that I almost said yes.

"Um… no, not today." I scratched my head and started to walk away.

"P-please?" Naruto's voice sounded so small and scared, afraid of me saying no.

Kakashi-sensei stood up and walked away without saying a word. He waved a hand in farewell and disappeared in a cloud of white smoke.

"No." I said this with a little more force, trying to tell him that I really didn't want him to.

"Why?"

"Naruto…" I sighed and started again. "You worry me. Especially when you act like this. You're all sad and… and pleading and I don't like being around you when you're like that. It makes me feel bad and I'm afraid you won't get back to your old self. Okay, Naruto-kun?"

He nodded and started to walk past me trying to get away from anything else I might say. I stuck my arm out to stop him from getting away, at least for a few minutes. He stopped and turned to face me a, small smile upon his face.

"I'm okay. Really. It's just… you know." Naruto tried an even bigger smile but his eyes gave him away.

"What did you dream about?"

"I… I don't remember." I knew he was lying but I didn't push him to tell me. He would if he wanted to.

"Promise me something, okay, Naruto-kun?" I placed my hands on his shoulders and stepped a little closer.

The wind was starting to pick up, making both of us shiver. Brightly colored fall leaves were fluttering about with the occasional cherry blossom intertwined. My hair was flapping around my shoulders and Naruto's was moving ever so slightly.

"That depends. Tell me first." He looked at the way I had placed my hands on his shoulders and frowned. Naruto then realized that he really wasn't acting normal.

"P-promise me… promise me that you'll start acting normal again. Promise me that you won't let him leaving get to you and promise me that when you aren't acting normal you'll steer clear of me so that I don't get really worried. Or at least cover it up. Can you do that?" My vision was starting to blur so I wiped at me eyes, figuring out if I had started to cry or not.

"I can try." He gave me another small smile and pulled me into a hug. Something I'd never allow him to do on a normal basis but now I didn't mind.

I sobbed into his shoulder while he stroked my hair, trying to calm me. I wouldn't have minded if I had died right there because I was with someone I loved very much and he was happy. If Naruto-kun was happy I could try to be happy, too.

Maybe, just maybe, I could live a normal life without Sasuke.

Disclaimer:

If you recognize the character from the Naruto series then I don't own it! If you don't, then it's most likely mine.


	6. Chapter 6

_Screams. The metallic smell of blood. A muttered string of swear words. All so close yet so far from me. I knew they weren't real but I believed in them._

_Darkness was covering the sky and a path was forming in front of me. There was a boy, hovering on the edge of adulthood, standing there, bleeding. The strong smell of his blood and the even stronger waves of his emotions wafted toward me, making me want to turn and run._

_I stepped towards him, feeling the need to heal his physical wounds. I placed my hands over the wound, on his bare chest, being careful not to hurt him. He continued to mutter the swear words until I emitted chakra from my palms. He was quiet for a second before letting out the most terrible scream I had ever heard in my life._

I woke from the dream panting, small shivers taking over my body. Sitting up and leaning back against the warm pillows. I whispered small string of curses and gibberish. Bigger shakes were starting to consume and I took deep, controlled breaths to fend them off. _Since when does a simple dream scare me?_

I wrapped myself in the blanket that Naruto and Sasuke had given me for my twelfth birthday. Sasuke hadn't wanted to get me anything but Naruto had forced him to. It was navy blue and embroidered with my name and cherry blossoms in light pink. Naruto had picked out what had been on it and Sasuke had picked out the materials. I absolutely loved it.

I got up and flew down the stairs, looking for something to eat. The sun was just barely out and the moon was still bright in the sky. The trees made eerie shadows on the clear pond water in our backyard. The faint blare of music form our neighbors filled the air, taking away the painful silence.

I grabbed a deep red apple form the table and took a bite out of it. The juices dripped down my chin and I wiped them away with the back of my wrist. I quickly made sure I had something suitable for the public to see on then pulled on my sandals and left the otherwise empty house.

I planned on being early for Tsunade-sama's lesson and getting extra work in. Then I would train until I could barely move. While I did this I would focus on nothing but the objects in front of me. I'd been having that same dream for weeks and today was the day I would start to figure out what it meant or forget it. I was hoping for the latter.

I rubbed at my eyes before looking up to see Naruto-kun and Ritsuki-san walking towards me. Naruto looked angry and Ritsuki looked quite amused. He was talking animatedly while Naruto clenched and unclenched his fists beside him.

"Hi, Naruto!" I bounded over to them and feel instep with Naruto-kun. "Ritsuki-san." I gave a sharp nod of my head to him.

Ritsuki talked louder as he looked over me. Naruto reached for my hand, looking like he wanted to be as far away as possible. I waved his hand away and listened to what Ritsuki-san was saying.

"I still don't get why you guys still want him back. I mean, Sasuke almost killed you and he doesn't give a damn about Sakura." By the time the word 'Sasuke' had escaped his lips I had thrown two kunai and a shuriken at him.

He dodged the three easily but left an opening for Naruto to swiftly punch in Ritsuki's stomach, all the anger he had been holding in, seeping out. I was more than willing to hurt Ritsuki further but I settled for yelling at him, reminding myself that I needn't end up in a terrible mood today.

"Don't you ever say that about Sasuke-kun again! If you do, I swear on the River Styx, that I'll kill you! Okay?!" I yelled so loudly that it felt as if my throat was being torn. It was all I could do to contain my anger.

Naruto-kun made to hit Ritsuki again but I held onto his wrist to stop him. We were both breathing through clenched teeth, trying to fend off the urges to kill Ritsuki. I dragged Naruto-kun away from him, remembering that I needed to get going.

"L-Let go of me! I n-need to-"

"Look! Just leave him be for now! When I get back form Tsunade-sama's lesson we'll… we'll think of something to make him stop. Okay?"

A low growl sounded, deep from his throat. I quickly let go of his wrist and watched as Naruto calmed down.

"Yeah. Fine." I didn't like the cold fury in his voice but I watched as he stalked off, his body rigid.

I sighed and to walk towards the Fifth's office. Upon entering the office I could sense something was terribly wrong. I kept a straight, disinterested face and asked a simple question. "What's up? Something seems… like it's missing."

"It's Shizune. She's gone." The fear in her voice was more than I'd expected. I had never heard her voice so quiet, sad, and fearful. It scared me almost more than anything ever had.


	7. Chapter 7

"Uh! Damn it!" I hissed the words, flinging a kunai at one of the many trees surrounding the seven of us.

"What now?!" I flinched at the harsh words coming from my sensei's mouth.

"We've been at this for three freaking days and we've found _nothing!_"

There was a murmur of agreement from the rest of the group as we rested among the green foliage. Everybody was fraying at the ends, frustrated at the lack of results. Even Hinata-san seemed on the verge of lashing out. I hadn't expected immediate results but we hadn't run into anything. The most dangerous thing we had faced was a spider that had embedded itself in Pakkun's fur.

We sat in a shape that somewhat resembled a circle, all of us fuming. Naruto-kun was angrily tapping his fingers against the damp ground, a low growl coming from deep in his throat. Lee-kun was positively shaking, with fury or anticipation I knew not. Ritsuki was going over hand signs, cursing every time he did one wrong. Hinata-san was scanning the tress with her Byakugan, probably searching for something mire exciting. Pakkun was barking at a fly that was zipping around his head, his guard completely dropped. Even Kakashi-sensei had lowered his guard, disappointed at the lack of action.

It was a shame that we had become so immersed in our own thoughts at that exact moment. A weapon that I wasn't familiar with came flying through the tress, just seconds after Hinata-san let out a small gasp. The noise was just enough to get Kakashi-sensei's attention. It just barely brushed his hair as he caught, seeming not to even think about it.

The expression on his face had me biting back a laugh. He was _bored _with one lethal weapon. He wanted dozens to come at him, get him moving. He almost got what he wished for.

Soon after, six more of the wind-mill like things were cutting through the trees. Hinata and I fell back, knowing we would be of no use in this battle. We had to save our energy for healing the others and alerting them . We were only to step forward if the rest weren't in any condition to fight.

Lee-kun quickly caught on of them and lodged it into the nearest tree. Naruto-kun produced two Kage Bunshins and took out three more of the weapons. Kakashi-sensei merely flicked one and it spun off into another tree, the some bored expression on his face. Ritsuki was a second to late and the remaining weapon grazed his left cheek before Lee kicked it out of sight. A thin red line appeared on his cheek and it quickly started to seep blood.

"Sakura! Heal this!" I rolled my eyes as Ritsuki ordered this from me.

"Uh, no. It's a cut. You'll live, unfortunately."

"Yeah, but the enemy could pick up my scent from the blood and he'll be able to follow us." He said this matter-of-factly and I longed to go over there and punch his lights out.

"Then we'll leave you here to die." I only muttered this because Kakashi-sensei had nodded his head towards Ritsuki, a stern look in his eye.

I stiffly walked over to Ritsuki and placed my hand above his bleeding cheek. Muttering profanities under my breath, I quickly healed the stupid cut. Ritsuki smirked and lined up in front of Kakashi-sensei. I stood in front of Hinata-san, waiting for Pakkun to pick up the scent of Shizune.

We set off, Kakashi covering our scent with a strange substance that adopted the look of its surroundings. I was a bit jittery, frightened by the sudden attack. Why had they waited until now? Why had they stopped so easily? Why was I so scared?

I'd faced far worse things, yet this frightened me to no end. I wasn't afraid of this happening again. I didn't really care about who had attacked us unless they were linked to Shizune. The only thing that was strange about the attack was that I had dreamt about something similar happening the night before.

Once she was sure that we weren't I any danger, Hinata-san confirmed that it was alright to rest for the night. We settled into the same type of circle we had before for a quick meal and talk. While Lee-kun prepared what looked like soup, Kakashi-sensei gathered his thoughts.

A few minutes later, when everybody had eaten the small meal, Kakashi-sensei stated the plan.

"If nothing more happens within two days we'll return to Konoha. That is, if Shizune's scent starts to become faint and we've found no clues as to where she might be. If something does happen, well, we'll figure that out later. Right now, I want you all to get a good rest. Pakkun and I will stand guard for now and I'll wake someone else in a few hours. Any questions?" He said the words as if he were a bad actor, reading the script in a monotone.

The five of us had none and we quickly settled down to sleep. Naruto-kun slept with his back against a tree, farthest from the fire. Hinata-san crept closer to him and a small smile found its way to my lips. Ritsuki still sat near the fire. If he were to roll over in his sleep he'd get burned! Lee-kun lay on his back, staring at the tree tops over head, his arm outstretched as if to grasp my hand. I settled myself close to Kakashi-sensei and lay on my back, afraid to let it be out in the open. I crept a little bit closer to Kakashi, feeling safer close to the Jounin that I would have if I were closer to my fellow Genin.

I fell into a fitful sleep, nightmares taking over. I remember waking, being frightened by a dream, and holding onto Kakashi-sensei's wrist, hoping my watch was next.

Hinata has picked up a few medical techniques.


	8. Chapter 8

"Lee-kun! Stay out of his way!"

"Bu-"

"No! Leave him to Ritsuki! Get her!" I pointed at the man coming for Lee, my arm shaking.

"Hai!"

We were under attack and the enemy definitely had the upper hand. Even though there were six of us and only three of them they were kicking our Genin asses. Kakashi-sensei was locked in combat with a giant, purple haired, beast of a man. I couldn't tell which was winning. Naruto-kun and Ritsuki were trying to ward off a green haired boy who couldn't have been older than eight but he was a bout as strong as Tsunade-sama. Lee-kun was fighting a blonde girl who seemed about fifteen. She was –no doubt- the strongest of the three.

Hinata-san and I were hurrying after the other four, healing any injury they got and somehow managing to live. I heard a loud thud and whipped around to see Kakashi-sensei breathing heavily, his foot on top of the man's chest, a twinkle in his eye.

"W… weakling." He gasped out the words then slowly started to fall backwards.

Hinata-san was behind him in a flash, lowering him to the ground carefully. She whispered a couple of words then quickly started to heal him. I heard a cry of pain and whipped around again, sure that I was going to give myself whiplash.

"Sakura-chan! Hurry and help Lee! We can't fight both of them!"

I jumped over to Lee-kun and went about healing him. About a minute into the process I heard the girl's yell of fury as the younger boy got flung into a tree. I looked up to see Ritsuki standing behind Naruto-kun, a kunai flying straight at his chest, aimed so the hit would be fatal.

"Na-Naruto-kun! Move!" I abandoned healing Lee and pushed Naruto-kun out of the way, forgetting Ritsuki was there.

I heard a cough and the sound of a think liquid splattering on the ground. I slowly turned, still holding Naruto back and gasped. The kunai had hit Ritsuki right in the chest, where his heart was. He was staring at the wound as he got peppered with other weapons. Dark, thick blood was gathering in the corners of his mouth and falling to the ground. I cursed and ran over to heal him, knowing that it would be useless. He would be dead within a few seconds.

"S-Sakura-chan…." I looked over to Lee-kun to see what he wanted and followed his gaze.

The girl was flying at me, forming hand seals. I feebly put my arms in front of my face and waited for the impact. It didn't come. I lowered my arms in confusion and found the girl hanging from Kakashi-sensei's arm. He had used the Chidori to kill her, saving me.

Kakashi was panting and swaying as Naruto-kun took the girl off of his arm. He started to again so I caught him and put him oh the ground, next to Lee-kun.

"U-um S-Sakura… What sh-should I-I…" I looked over at Hinata who was holding the lifeless form of Ritsuki.

I sighed and shook my head. "Just… just leave him for the second. Come and up me with these two." I beckoned Hinata-san and Naruto-kun over.

Hinata sat beside Kakashi-sensei and prepared to finish the healing she had started. I started to heal Lee-kun once more and didn't notice as Naruto draped his arm around my shoulders.

"You okay?"

I looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "Yeah…"

"Kay. Anything I can do?" He could tell I was lying but knew not to push me.

"You can do something with the, uh, bodies."

He nodded and went to work at it. It was times like these when I really loved Naruto-kun. He was mature and helpful instead of hyperactive and a pain the in the neck.

"I think it is time for us to get out of this place." I smiled down at Lee, happy that he was conscious.

"Yes, I think so, too."

"Kid's right. I'm pretty sure Pakkun has lost Shizune's scent and we want to leave before we lose the way we came."

"I-I'll try t-to f-find a p-path we c-can take."

Naruto-kun came back over and sat down in front of us, sighing. "Mission unsuccessful?"

Kakashi-sensei scratched his head and sighed, too. "Mission unsuccessful."

"Are we going to rest here for the night?" Lee slowly sat up, wincing in pain at the bruises I couldn't heal.

"Yeah…"

_Sasuke-kun… It sure would be great if you were here. _


	9. Chapter 9

"Hinata, are you sure it doesn't end soon? I don't want to send Sakura in there so she can get lost." I watched Kakashi-sensei and Hinata-san intently, wondering what they were talking about.

"P-positive!"

"Sakura, Hinata is going to show the beginning of this trail and you are to follow it all the through. From what she can see the trail goes in the direction of home. If you run into anything," he paused and handed me a small kunai, "focus your chakra into this and we'll be there right away. Same thing if you find anything or start to doubt that you're heading in the right direction. Okay?"

I nodded even though I was thoroughly confused. Why did I have to go? Why did I have to go _alone?_ "Wouldn't it be better if someone else went with me?"

"Well, yes. But we can't really make the team any smaller and you, uh, seemed to need some time alone."

"Okay." I nodded again, still unsure if this was a good idea. It would be nice to get away from the rest of the group for a while but what if I got into real trouble? It could take them forever to get to me.

I quickly gathered my things, double checking that I had everything I might need. I sighed, pulling the now heavy pack onto my back. I would have to get rid of some things as I went. Naruto gently squeezed my arm and gave me a warm smile. I smiled up at him, showing him that I was perfectly fine.

"Ready, Hinata-san?" I stood beside the girl, tapping my foot in apprehension.

"Y-yes!" She started to head into the trees and I followed close behind. We soon came upon a small dirt path.

"J-just keep f-following th-this path." With that she turned and started to head back the way she'd come.

It felt odd, being in the forest alone. Well, I didn't feel terribly alone. I could still hear the rest of the groups' muffled voices and it felt as if someone was with me. I slowly turned in a circle, taking in my surroundings. They weren't much different, maybe a little darker.

I shook my head and started to run, looking back every few seconds. Slowly, the voices began to fade and I became nervous. I wouldn't be able to hear them if one of them screamed soon. I slowed down as the trail started to turn to the right. When it evened out I had a choice of going left, straight, or right. I immediately began to panic. Neither Hinata-san nor Kakashi-sensei had told me which way to go.

I stopped and tried to clear my head, deciding it would be best to go straight, completely forgetting that tiny kunai. I started forward but stopped. I had the strangest feeling that I should go left. I sighed and turned out to the path that would surely take me away from Konoha.

--------------------------

At first, I thought the voices might belong to Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sensei but after I listened for a while it became clear that it wasn't them. Both seemed strangely familiar though. I couldn't make out what the two were saying but it was clear that one was trying to get the other to do something that they didn't want to.

I was slowly walking around another bend in the path, trying my hardest not to panic. I had no idea where I was, I was positive that I wasn't heading in the right direction, and night was beginning to fall. The crickets were starting to chirp, making me even more nervous. Yet something kept pulling me along the path that I was currently walking.

The voices went silent. I heard someone start to cough violently and someone else take off. I turned the corner, ready to help the person who was coughing and got something entirely different than what I had expected.

My eyes widened in shock and started to fill with tears when he stepped into the light. He still had the same hair, the same eyes. He hadn't gotten any taller. He still had held himself the same way. As if he knew exactly what he was doing when he was really afraid of doing anything at all. He still had that cool exterior that he could keep in just about any situation. He still fought back the pain and tears when he was terribly injured. He still had that cold, seductive voice that I loved and realized that I'd missed so much when he stuttered my name.

"Sa… S-sa… Sakura…"

He was still my beloved Uchiha Sasuke.


	10. Chapter 10

"_So, the famous Uchiha Sasuke finally comes back… You know, we didn't really believe you would. We'd lost all hope in you coming back after the second day Naruto was gone…"_

The words sprung to my mind but I couldn't get myself to say them. I hunched my shoulders, folding into myself, and started to sob. This couldn't be Sasuke. My imagination had to be toying with me. I shook my head, wrapped my arms around myself, and began to slowly walk forward.

I trailed my fingers down his cheek, checking to see if he was really there. "N-no…" I didn't want him to come back like this. I'd had it all planned our. I was supposed to be furious at him and he was supposed to be sorry!

"…S-sakura…"

I looked Sasuke over and saw that the front of his white shirt was covered in bright blood. I gasped, looked at him to see him losing consciousness, and started to peel off his shirt. I was careful not to touch the wound as I helped him lay down.

"J-just… Just st-stay still," I instructed him though I doubted he could hear me.

I hadn't had enough medical training to heal him completely but I could try. I couldn't really make it any worse. I took a deep breath and began to gather chakra in my hands, trying to think of the best way to heal the wound. I placed my hands over his chest and started to slowly heal the wound, trying to stop the bleeding first. Sasuke's face was contorted in pain.

"I'm sorry…"

Within minutes I had exhausted my remaining chakra and could do no more. I had mended the skin over the wound and stopped the bleeding. Under the skin he was still messed up but I had something. If I got him back to Konoha soon he might be okay.

I finally remembered the small kunai Kakashi-sensei had handed me and I dug through my pack, trying to find it. I pulled it out of the very bottom and started to focus my chakra into and stopped. Sasuke was classified as a missing-nin in Konoha and was, most certainly, not welcome. Few people would be happy that he was back. I shook my head and started to focus my chakra again, praying that Kakashi-sensei would be the only one to come.

But of course, he wasn't. Minutes later I had the shuffle of leaves and the distinct sound of Naruto-kun's voice. I sighed and covered Sasuke body as he slipped out of consciousness. Hopefully Naruto wouldn't recognize him.

"Sakura-chan, where are you?! What's wrong? OW!"

"I'm fine," I whispered, seeing them emerge from the trees. "Just fine."

Kakashi-sensei walked up to me, placed a hand on my shoulder, and quietly asked, "What's wrong? Take the wrong path?"

"Yes." I shook my head ever so slightly and motioned for him to turn around.

He glanced down, eye wide in shock. "Is it dead?" Kakashi looked over his shoulder to make sure the others weren't paying attention. "Who is it?"

"It's… not dead. _It _is a he. And… and the he is… He's, um, Sa-sasuke."

There was a flicker of emotion in his eyes but it quickly passed. "Why'd you cover him up?"

"I didn't want Naruto-kun to see him. He's… he's injured and I didn't know how Naruto would react." I wiped at my eyes and sniffed. "I c-couldn't heal him all the way. W-we need t-to get him back before he, uh, dies. I… I might be able to heal him there. And we, uh, need to get him there without Naruto noticing it's h-him."

I heard the sound of a muffled sob and looked up to see Naruto-kun kneeling over Sasuke's uncovered face. Naruto's face was blank but his eyes held all the emotions ever named. He reached out and touched Sasuke's cheek just they I had done.

"Naruto… k-kun…"

He looked up as Hinata-san placed a hand on his shoulder and choked back another sob. "Heh, I kind of imagined his homecoming a lot different. He was…" Naruto just shook his head and covered his face with his hands.

"I'm sorry…"


	11. Chapter 11

And we all stood like that, staring at the figure lying before us. None of us wanted to believe he was really there. Oh, we wanted him back but we had imagined him coming home much differently. We were happy in our fantasies instead of run down from a failed mission.

"Come on. Let's go." Kakashi-sensei's voice was emotionless, almost cold. He wanted this moment to be different just as much as the rest of us. "Come on."

Naruto-kun and Kakashi-sensei began to check their things, making sure that everything was in order, trying act as normal as they could. I refused to move, still staring at the motionless form or Sasuke.

"It could hurt him if we move him. He still isn't healed all the way." I was surprised that my voice came out strong instead of the weak whisper I thought it would be.

Hinata-san and Lee-kun were standing off to the side, not sure of what to do. Neither of them had been very close to Sasuke-kun, so they kept their distance.

I kneeled down next to him again. "Sasuke-kun… I really hope th-this isn't you." I didn't expect him to answer since he was unconscious. I already knew that it was him, but I still didn't want to believe it. Maybe if I turned my back he'd disappear. Maybe I was asleep. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn't. I was in real life and he had come back. I wished I could make the pain go away even if it was a childish wish. I had never liked it when he was unconscious.

"Come on. You want to heal him back in Konoha, right?" I jumped at Kakashi-sensei's voice, it being cold as ever. I only hoped this was his way of coping.

"Y-yeah." I nodded and began to gather my things, strewn about from looking for the small kunai.

As I gathered my belongings I couldn't help but to glance over at Sasuke every once in a while. He seemed different, like the air about him had changed. He seemed… older. I couldn't wait to take him back to Konoha, get to know him again.

I looked over my shoulder to see Naruto-kun standing stiff as a board, Hinata-san standing very close to him. His shoulders were shaking a bit and I longed to tell him everything was going to be alright. But I didn't know if it would be so I kept quiet.

After gathering all of my belongings I put one arm under Sasuke's head and another under his legs and tried to carry his weight. I assumed that he'd gotten heavier or that I was very weak right now.

"Do you need any help, Sakura-chan?" I looked up at Lee-kun as he placed his hand on my shoulder.

"Y-yeah… Just be careful with him."

"Of course I will. If he is special to you, I will protect him the same way I would you." I smiled at Lee-kun, wondering why he thought I was worth protecting.

"I, um… Th-the tr-trail… if w-we t-take the p-path back and, and t-take the f-fork that h-heads st-straight w-we'll make it b-back in about t-two days." We all focused our attention on Hinata-san, making her even more nervous.

"How we will get Him back without losing all of our strength? If He's unconscious we'll have to carry him, right?" Surprising, Naruto-kun's voice was strong, too.

"Only if we switch the person who carries Him once in a while." Kakashi-sensei's voice was still flat, distant.

I shook my head at his statement. "That could make the damage worse. We want to move Him as little as possible."

"Why is that?" Naruto-kun looked confused. He hadn't known that Sasuke was wounded.

"Because. I could only heal the external wound. On the inside he's still pretty messed up. If we move him around a lot it could make the internal wound worse."

"Oh, so what do we do, Ms. Doctor?"

I glared at Kakashi-sensei. He went from being cold to just plain mean. "I don't know. I'm just saying that we can't move Him around a lot."

"But… what if the wound becomes too much before we get Him back to Konoha?" Naruto took a step towards Sasuke.

"I… I can try to work on it. U-um, who wants to carry Him?"

"I will do it! You can trust me!" Lee-kun broke out into the Nice Guy pose, bringing a weak smile to my face. I was glad that he could keep his spirits up in tough situations.

"H-how should w-we d-do th-this?"

"Um…" I quickly mapped out where we should be placed in line. "Lee-kun, you're in front of me. Hinata-san, you're behind me. Naruto-kun is behind Hinata and Kakashi-sensei and Pakkun are in front of Lee."

We all got into our positions and began to walk the path in silence. I fell behind sometimes, getting caught up in my thoughts. There was little I could do back in Konoha. And nobody would be willing to heal Sasuke-kun after what he had done. After all of this, he still screwed.


	12. Chapter 12

I sat on the edge of my chair, right hand on his forehead, left hand holding his. We had gotten back to Konoha late the night before. Amazingly, Sasuke-kun had been taken care of immediately, no questions asked. It was almost like they had been waiting for him.

"Heh, he's on lucky bastard, eh?"

I smiled at Naruto-kun as he took a seat next to me. "Yeah, he is. Um, have you talked to Tsunade-sama about the mission?"

"Uh, yeah. It's really terrible. Um, Shizune-sama had gone to a neighboring village to help at the hospital. Apparently, she left in a hurry and left a note among the many papers on the Old Lady's desk and she didn't find it. Shizune got back yesterday morning."

"Seriously? Damn it! Someone got killed because of that…" I sighed, closing my eyes in frustration.

"But," Naruto-kun gave a little laugh, "we did get something great because of that." He stopped for a moment before whispering, "I'm sorry."

I looked up at him, noticing how his face had darkened. "For what?"

"I… I said that I would… I would bring him back. He wasn't supposed to come back like that."

I placed a hand one Naruto-kun's shoulder, letting go of Sasuke's hand. "I know. I had it all planned out. You did, too, right?"

Naruto sighed and nodded. "Yeah. It was a lot than how he did come back."

"Mhmm. Actually, the way I had imagined it was that after he came back we'd just wake up from some awful dream. It had never really happened."

"I wish." He placed his hands behind his head. "Kakashi-sensei should be here soon."

"We'll all be together again." I paused, remembering Sasuke's unconscious state. "Kind of."

I stood up to look out the window as Kakashi-sensei stepped in. "Hullo, kids."

I nodded at him, still mad that he had been so mean the other day. Light filtered through the small glass pane as I pushed back the faded green curtains.

"Mmm... turn the lights… off."

"Sasuke-kun!" I whipped around to give him a hug but stopped when my eyes met Naruto-kun holding him tightly.

"U-um…"

"Oh, hehe, sorry." Naruto stepped away from him, a light blush covering his cheeks, hands behind his head.

I stood in front of Sasuke-kun, head hanging. I didn't know what to do now that he was really back. This definitely wasn't part of my plan.

"Sakura… I-,"

"Just shut up." The look on his face was hilarious. He'd never been told to shut up unless the words came from Naruto-kun.

I leaned down and gave him a kiss on the forehead at which he blushed. I gave him a loose hug and buried my face in his shoulder, taking in his familiar scent. He stayed stiff, like I had expected.

I let go of him when I heard Kakashi-sensei clear his throat. I sat on one edge of his bed like the other two had done and placed my hand on top of his.

"So, we're back in business again? We're Team 7 again?" Naruto-kun's eyes were wide. He was afraid to know the answer because he had almost forgotten what being Team 7 was like, just as I had.

"We're Team 7 again." I nodded and sighed. "God, I missed that."

Kakashi-sensei had his nose buried in one of his books, his visible eye twinkling. Naruto-kun was out the small window, his face completely blank. He was still worried about what was to come. Sasuke-kun was counting the holes in the ceiling tiles, seemingly bored. The corners of his mouth were slightly upturned and if you knew him well enough you knew that that was the biggest smile he would ever give you. I was looking around at the three, glad that all of us were together again. Of course, I was still worried about the things that would be different but I wasn't going to let that get to me now.

I still planned to yell at Sasuke-kun but I would to re-think what I was going to say so it would have to wait. I still planned on being mad at him for a while after the yelling but that could wait, too. And I planned on blocking out those last couple of months and replace those memories with much happier ones.

"You know we'll kill you if you try to leave again, right?" I also planned on being prepared to do that.

Sasuke-kun gave a slight nod and whispered, "Good."

I laughed, stood up, and spun around as if I were a small kid on the playground again. They all looked at me like I was crazy but I didn't. I didn't care. I didn't care!

Everything was going right at that exact moment so it was okay to let go for a second. I didn't need to care or worry about anything right then. From now, everything was going to be great. Hopefully.

FIN


	13. Epilogue

Much like I had wanted, everything had gone back to almost normal. Kakashi-sensei still read _Icha Icha Paradise_ every chance he got. Naruto-kun was still enthusiastic about his training. Sasuke-kun was still silent, cold. We didn't talk about him leaving, we didn't ask about who wounded him. We acted as if he never left in the first place. The rest of the village did the same. Nobody ever mentioned his absence.

Kakashi-sensei found out that we had been traveling close to the Sound on our way back. Naruto-kun was infuriated by this and the rest of the group was just freaked out. Hinata-san and Lee-kun had heard of Orochimaru and didn't really want to meet him.

The village held a memorial service for Ritsuki but only six people attended. Lee-kun tried to say something nice about Ritsuki but failed, as did the rest of us. Tsunade-sama said something about him being a good listener but stopped mid-sentence. I figured that she had remembered something particularly nasty about him.

Our team and Gai-sensei's team enrolled to take the Chuunin exams again, three months after Sasuke-kun had come back. They hadn't changed at all. We all made it to the final matches along with one person from the Sound and two people from the Sand. Before long only Naruto-kun, Lee-kun, and Sasuke0kun were left. But that is a story for another time.


End file.
